Fantasy Baseball Lineup Analysis: NL 08/31

Only a few more weeks of the regular season left! Just a few more weeks to decide who will become fantasy champions and whose seasons will end in disappointment. To help fantasy managers achieve their gaol, this article dives into the latest changes from National League lineups that fantasy managers need to know. The five hottest hitters in the NL over the past two weeks have been Tyler Stephenson, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Marcell Ozuna, and Francisco Lindor. Keep reading for news and notes on all 15 lineups across the National League.

Please note that this article is finalized the day prior to publication. I will do my best to update the information as it comes in later that night.

Fantasy Baseball Lineup Takeaways: NL Edition

National League East

Philadelphia Phillies

• Nick Castellanos has quietly been excellent after a slow start
  • As Castellanos has continued swinging a hot bat, the Phillies have moved him up to fifth in the lineup
  • After a slow first two months, Castellanos is batting .281/.326/.490 with 12 homers since the start of June
  • He is up to 19 home runs on the season with 73 RBIs batting right behind Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm
  • Bryson Stott has slid down to sixth in the lineup with Castellanos moving up
• Alec Bohm is dealing with a hand/wrist injury
  • Bohm left the game on Thursday after injuring his left hand swinging the bat against the Braves
  • While X-rays were negative, the Phillies have yet to reveal much about the severity of this injury. Fantasy managers should consider Bohm day to day for now but an IL  stint remains possible
  • If Bohm is forced to miss extended time, Edmundo Sosa would see the bulk of the playing time at third base

Miami Marlins

• Connor Norby is back up from Triple-A
  • Since being recalled, Norby has been batting leadoff for the Marlins playing a variety of positions including second and third base
  • Norby was viewed as a top prospect in Baltimore’s system and is getting a chance to prove himself with the Marlins
  • He has been excellent in a small sample size batting .35o with two homers and two steals with the Marlins
  • A high whiff rate and mediocre exit velocity numbers remain the biggest concerns moving forward
  • Norby replaced Xavier Edwards in the lineup who is currently on the IL
• Griffin Conine is up from Triple-A
  • The Marlins recalled Conine from Triple-A to make his Major League debut this past Tuesday
  • He has been in the lineup against both lefties and righties since being promoted batting sixth or seventh
  • Conine has flashed 20+ homer pop in the Minor Leagues but a high strikeout rate has always been the biggest concern. He is worth a look in deep leagues but with minimal speed, he lacks significant fantasy upside
• Kyle Stowers appears to be settling in
  • After being traded to Miami, Stowers got off to a slow start but has been finding his swing as of late
  • Since August 19, Stowers is batting well over .300 while keeping his strikeout rate below 30%
  • He continues to post excellent batted ball data but is likely to be a streaky hitter with his suspect contact skills

Atlanta Braves

• Austin Riley is on the IL
  • Riley is expected to be sidelined for nearly the remainder of the regular season
  • The team claimed Gio Urshela from Detroit to fill in and Urshela has been batting eighth in the lineup most games
  • Urshela has been dealing with a groin injury over the past week but is not worth rostering even when healthy
• Travis d’Arnaud has taken over as the primary catcher
  • The team gave Sean Murphy an extended run behind the plate over the past few weeks but he has been unable to find his swing after missing several months with an injury
  • Murphy is batting just .216 on the season and is a fine player to drop at this point
  • d’Arnaud is batting .275 since the start of July with seven home runs and is now batting fifth in Atlanta’s lineup
• Ramon Laureano is playing every day
  • Laureano has passed Jared Kelenic on the Braves depth chart and has been batting sixth or seventh in the lineup
  • Laureano is batting .342 with five homers and two steals since the start of August with excellent batted-ball data
  • His BABIP is bound to regress soon, but he is worth a look in leagues you need OF help
  • Kelenic is not worth holding onto after failing to maintain a regular role even with the Braves extremely banged up

Washington Nationals

• Dylan Crews has joined the Major League roster
  • The second overall pick from last year has officially made it to the bigs and made his debut on Monday
  • Crews has been batting toward the top of the lineup against lefties while settling into the back half against righties
  • Crews has obvious potential and was swinging the bat extremely well in Tripe-A prior to his promotion. He is worth adding in all 12+ team leagues
  • Crews has taken over the lineup spot previously occupied by Alex Call who is on the IL
• Joey Gallo is back from the IL
  • Gallo had been sidelined since early June but returned to the lineup August 20
  • Since returning, Gallo has been serving as the primary first baseman batting eighth in the lineup
  • He is playing on the strong side of a platoon with Juan Yepez although neither player is worth rostering in fantasy
• Jose Tena has been moving up in the lineup
  • Tena was promoted back on August 10 but has been getting more time batting fifth or sixth lately
  • Since being promoted, Tena has been playing well offensively serving as the everyday third baseman
  • Fantasy managers should not expect Tena to continue batting over .300 but his barrel rate and exit velocities make him an intriguing waiver-wire add

New York Mets

• Starling Marte has returned to the lineup
  • Marte has been out since June 22 but returned to the Mets’ lineup on August 18
  • Marte has been batting all over the lineup since returning and is likely to settle into the 2-5 range
  • Although his numbers have been mediocre since returning, he has already stolen two more bases making him a perfect 14/14 on the season. He may never be the player he once was, but he holds fantasy value while healthy
  • His return to the lineup has shifted Harrison Bader into a platoon with Jesse Winker
• Mark Vientos has been batting second in the lineup
  • The Mets are looking for a spark and have moved Vientos up thanks to his 21 home runs on the season
  • Although Vientos’ average has come down a bit since the start of August, he is still producing excellent power numbers and proving to be a reliable fantasy asset. His strikeout rate is up over 44% since August 15 which is a concern for the long-term
  • Batting second in the lineup should help Vientos produce even more counting stats batting behind Francisco Lindor

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

• The Pete Crow-Armstrong breakout is here
  • Credit to the Cubs for sticking with PCA after some early offensive struggles as he continues to play every day and hit eighth in the lineup
  • PCA is now up to 26 stolen bases on the year and has hit four home runs since August 12
  • Since July 28, PCA is striking out less than 15% of the time with a .326 batting average
  • He was a top prospect for a reason and is reminding everybody why
• Seiya Suzuki is coming alive late
  • Suzuki seems to do this every season where he struggles, fantasy managers feel disappointed, and then he rebounds in a big way
  • Despite playing in just 107 games, Suzuki is up to 19 homers and 11 stolen bases on the season as he continues to bat third for the Cubs
  • He is especially hot as of late with five multi-hit performances in his last six games. He is batting .457 with three homers since August 21 and could be a league-winning type player

St. Louis Cardinals

• Willson Contreras is on the IL with a finger injury
  • Contreras has been excellent all season but the team will now need to replace him on their roster
  • Ivan Herrera is going to get another chance to serve as the primary catcher and has been batting in the back half of the lineup since returning from Triple-A
  • Herrera has shown flashes with excellent raw power and is worth a look in two-catcher formats
• Luken Baker is serving as the DH
  • Baker has spent most of the season in Triple-A but is now getting regular playing time with the Cardinals
  • Baker has been batting fourth in the lineup most games. He was up to 32 homers in Triple-A but needs to keep his strikeout rate in check to become fantasy relevant
  • With Baker entering the lineup more often, Matt Carpenter has seen his playing time decrease
• Victor Scott II is worth bringing up
  • Scott was the prized acquisition earlier this season but disappointed offensively in his first Major League stint
  • Since returning, Scott has looked like a much more complete batter. He is slashing .254/.386/.414 since returning on August 5 with an average EV of 89.5 and a barrel rate over eight percent
  • He continues to play every day and hit ninth in the lineup. He is worth a look in deeper leagues and dynasty formats where managers might have given up too quickly on him
• Tommy Pham was DFA’d
  • Pham was acquired at the trade deadline but will now be seeking his third team of the season
  • To take his roster spot, Jordan Walker was once again recalled from Triple-A and should get fairly regular playing time with the club
  • He could eat into Luken Baker’s playing time at DH and take at-bats from one of the lefty outfielders against southpaws

Milwaukee Brewers

• Gary Sanchez is getting into the lineup more often
  • The Brewers are trying to get Sanchez’s bat into the lineup, playing him at both catcher and DH to keep him in
  • He has been batting between fifth and seventh in the lineup and playing every day recently
  • Sanchez is batting .289 since the start of August and is up to nine homers on the year. He is only worth rostering in two-catcher formats
  • Jake Bauers has moved into more of a bench role at this point
• Blake Perkins has taken over in center field
  • The team continues to rotate Garrett Mitchell into the lineup but Perkins is getting most of the starts in center
  • Mitchell has been unable to put things together at the Major League level and is not worth holding onto
  • Perkins has been batting toward the bottom of the lineup and does not hold much fantasy value outside of decent stolen base numbers
• Rhys Hoskins is moving up in the lineup
  • With Mitchell struggling and being benched, Hoskins has taken over as the middle-of-the-order bat he was signed to be
  • Injuries have limited Hoskins to just 105 games but he has 21 homers on the year
  • After a hot start to August, Hoskins is batting under .100 since August 15 and continues to be too streaky to rely heavily on in fantasy

Cincinnati Reds

• Santiago Espinal has taken over at third base
  • The Reds’ patience has run out on Noelvi Marte who has been serving as a bench bat recently
  • Marte entered the year with significant hype and was a sought-after asset after returning from his suspension. He remains an intriguing buy-low option in dynasty leagues
  • Espinal has been batting in the back half of the lineup with a .375 average and four homers since August 18. Do not expect this level of production to continue but he is worth a look in 14+ team leagues
• Jeimer Candelario is on the IL with a fractured foot
  • With Candelario out, the team has picked up Dominic Smith who has spent most of the year with Boston
  • Smith has been serving as the primary DH and has been batting seventh in the lineup
  • He has just six homers in 90 games and is not worth adding unless you are just looking for consistent at-bats

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Nick Gonzales has returned from the IL
  • Gonzales has returned and continued to get everyday playing time at second base
  • He has also retaken his spot in the middle of Pittsburgh’s lineup. Although not overwhelming, his underlying metrics look solid this season and he could be a solid player for years to come
  • With Gonzales returning to the lineup, Michael Taylor has lost this starting spot
• Oneil Cruz has moved to center field
  • Part of Gonzales returning from the IL is that the team wanted to keep Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the lineup
  • To do this, IKF has shifted to shortstop and the team has moved Cruz to the outfield
  • Cruz has struggled defensively at short this year and this move is great for his fantasy value next season as he will have dual eligibility
  • Cruz continues to bat third in the lineup and is now up to 18 homers and 19 stolen bases on the season
• Joey Bart is on the IL
  • Bart’s breakout season has been interrupted by a hamstring injury which will keep him sidelined at least 10 days
  • With Bart on the IL, Yasmani Grandal has stepped in as the primary catcher and has been batting seventh in the lineup
  • Grandal has just a 76 wRC+ on the season and the team could opt to give Henry Davis more at-bats with Bart sidelined. Neither player is worth rostering at this point

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Tommy Edman is rotating between center field and shortstop
  • Edman returned from the IL for the first time this season on August 19 and has been playing every day for the Dodgers
  • Edman is a weird player to evaluate for fantasy. He has elite stolen base upside but lacks the power to reach the upper echelon of value. Most of his value in St. Louis was found from batting leadoff which he is not doing in Los Angeles
  • Edman is batting eighth in the lineup against righties and moving up against lefties
• Will Smith has slid down in the lineup
  • Smith has been batting second or fourth most of the season but has been hitting sixth most games over the past week
  • With Gavin Lux still swinging it well offensively and Mookie Betts back, Smith has fallen down the order a bit
  • Smith is batting just .152 with zero home runs since August 15. He is still a strong fantasy asset, but may not be locked into your lineup at this point
• Freddie Freeman has been battling a finger issue this week
  • Freeman was out of the lineup for three games Tuesday-Thursday but returned on Friday
  • This injury is unlikely to linger but if it does, Kike Hernandez is first in line for additional playing time
  • Freeman continues to be a strong fantasy asset in his age 34 season with 17 homers and a .284 batting average even if that is a step below the numbers we have seen the past few seasons

San Diego Padres

• Mason McCoy is playing every day
  • With Ha-Seong Kim still on the IL, McCoy has been filling in at shortstop batting at the bottom of the lineup
  • Prior to his promotion, McCoy was batting .260 with 25 stolen bases in Triple-A
  • He has excellent plate discipline but lacks the power or hit tool to make him a fantasy-relevant asset
• Jackson Merrill continues to be excellent
  • Merrill should be the clear favorite for Rookie of the Year but is not regarded in that manner throughout the fantasy community
  • He is now up to 20 home runs and 16 stolen bases and is batting .323 in the second half
  • Merrill is an elite fantasy asset and should continue to get better in the years to come

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Luis Guillorme is filling in at second base
  • With Ketel Marte on the IL, Guillorme has stepped into an everyday role
  • He has been serving on the strong side of the platoon with Kevin Newman and batting eighth in the lineup
  • Fantasy managers should know the story with Guillorme at this point and he is not worth picking up
• Can we say that Corbin Carroll is back now?
  • Carroll was perhaps the biggest fantasy disappointment of the year in the first half but has been excellent down the stretch
  • He continues to bat leadoff against righties and moves down to seventh in the lineup against lefties
  • He has hit six homers since August 16 and is quietly up to 17 homers and 21 steals. His wRC+ in the second half is 156
• The D-Backs are platooning their catchers
  • Adrian Del Castillo is getting most of the playing time batting sixth in the lineup
  • Jose Herrera is getting into the lineup against lefties batting ninth
  • Del Castillo has far more fantasy appeal but his value is capped based on the limited playing time he is receiving

San Francisco Giants

• Patrick Bailey is back from the IL
  • Bailey returned to the Giants’ lineup on Thursday and hit sixth in the lineup
  • Bailey figures to take back the primary catching duties from Curt Casali who had been playing regularly for the Giants
  • Bailey got off to a fast start this season but is batting just .054 with zero home runs since the start of August
• Tyler Fitzgerald has slowed down
  • Fitzgerald got off to such an unbelievably fast start that regression was always due
  • Since August 15, Fitzgerald is batting just .213 and has not hit a home run during that timeframe
  • With his high strikeout rate, Fitzgerald profiles to be a streaky hitter rather than a reliable fantasy asset long term
  • He has been batting second in the lineup this past week as opposed to leadoff
• Thairo Estrada was sent to Triple-A
  • What a fall from grace it has been for Estrada who has struggled to stay healthy and perform this season
  • He was sent to Triple-A and it is now likely that Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely will split time at second base
  • Hopefully you read through my shortstop busts article from before the season!

Colorado Rockies

• Nolan Jones is back in the Rockies’ lineup
  • Jones rejoined the team on August 20 after a lengthy absence on the IL
  • The sample size is small, but Jones is striking out less than 25% of the time since returning although he has yet to hit a home run
  • He is batting toward the bottom of the lineup and could start to lose playing time if he does not figure things out at the plate
• Jordan Beck is starting to get some more playing time
  • Beck has far more potential than veterans like Jake Cave and Charlie Blackmon although he is not getting consistent playing time
  • Beck is finding himself in the lineup against all lefties and about half of righties
  • On the season, Beck is batting just .214 although that number jumps to .263 since his most recent recall